Blushing Brides and Nervous Grooms
by lemacd
Summary: From the long lost files of lemacd's laptop comes a one-shot no one expected, a one-shot so shocking, so surprising, so... just kidding. it's just a one-shot I forgot I wrote a few months ago. Title is the summary. Have I mentioned that it is a one-shot? Please RnR. Thnx.


BLUSHING BRIDES AND NERVOUS GROOMS

Georg sat enjoying the first quiet moment he could find since announcing his plans to marry Maria. To say that the news was well received would be an understatement. He knew there would be cheers, but he did not expect the ear splitting screams from his daughters. For a few seconds he wasn't even sure that meant they were happy about it, but as soon as his head stopped ringing, he was pelted by questions from all sides, questions from the practical – "Should we wait until after the wedding to call you 'Mother'?" - to the borderline embarrassing – "Why can't we go on the honeymoon with you?"

Eventually the questions were about dresses and flowers and he and his two sons quickly lost interest. They slowly edged away from the chaos and left Maria and the girls to discuss those details without them. Friedrich and Kurt escaped to the quiet of their bedroom while he ventured outside to the terrace for some fresh air and some solitude. It lasted fifteen minutes.

"Father! Father! Guess what!" He turned to see Marta and Gretl running toward him at full speed.

"I couldn't possibly."

"Fraulein Maria said we could be flower girls!" Marta informed him excitedly.

"How nice, you will be the prettiest flower girls ever," he replied, properly impressed.

"And she said that we will get to wear new dresses and everything!" Gretl practically jumped into his lap with glee. He waited for her to nestle comfortably.

"Yes, new dresses for all my girls. After all, it will be a big day for you, too. You'll be getting a new mother. Does that make you happy?" He knew it did, but he was sure he would never tire hearing how much.

"Very happy, Father. I always wanted a mother," Gretl informed him without pause.

"You had a mother, Gretl," Marta said quietly, fearing for a moment her sister's thoughtlessness might hurt their father's feelings.

"Oh, I know that," her sister replied impatiently. "But I don't remember her. I always wanted a mother I can remember." Marta sighed softly, having no real answer. She couldn't really remember her mother either, but while she agreed with her sister, she would never have been so bold to say it in front of their father. Sensing her conflict, Georg caught Marta's eye and gave her a quick wink and was rewarded with a toothy grin.

"Fraulein Maria loves you very much," he told them.

"We know," they answered in unison, practically singing it. Georg had to laugh.

"She loves you, too," Gretl added nonchalantly.

"I know," he answered, mimicking their own words moments before. They were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Georg looked up to see Maria joining them. "Ah, if it isn't my blushing bride!" The girls giggled as they looked Maria up and down.

"She's not blushing, Father," Marta scoffed. "She looks like she always does."

"Oh, give it a minute," her father replied with a soppy grin.

"It's only an expression," Maria explained, brushing his tease away lest she prove him right.

"Why?"

"Hmm? Oh, well… I don't know exactly," Maria mused, a bit uneasy. "I suppose because you can tell how happy a bride is when you look at her." Georg gave a low chuckle.

"I suppose that is one reason she is blushing," he muttered quietly for only Maria to hear. Her mouth dropped open as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, willing the heat that was rising in her face to go away

"So is Father a blushing groom?"

"Um, no," Georg laughed. "Grooms do not blush."

"Give it a minute," Maria retorted, then laughed at her beloved's huff at the suggestion. "No, darling. The man is usually referred to as a nervous groom."

"Why is the groom nervous?" This time Gretl directed the question at her father.

"For the same reason the bride blushes, I imagine," Georg muttered again, this time receiving a warning glare from Maria.

"Because he's happy?" Marta and Gretl exchanged confused glances before looking to their father for an answer.

"Um, well, not exactly," he began, realizing it was time to end the conversation before he had to explain more about weddings than he thought little girls needed to know.

"Then why?"

"Oh. Um, well… the wedding is a very important day and he has to remember so many things, like… he has to remember how to say his vows, and he has to make sure he has the rings. And there are so many people there watching him. He doesn't want to make a mistake on such an important day in front of all those people."

"So, he is nervous because he's scared?"

"No, not scared. More like… eager." Georg nodded, pleased with his answer and sure it would satisfy his daughter. Maria shot him a skeptical look.

"Eager for what? For it to be over?"

"Yes."

"What happens when it's over?"

"What?"

"Weddings are so pretty," Marta tilted her head as she tried to work it out in her head as she spoke. "If the groom is eager for it to be over, whatever happens after the wedding must be good!"

"Maria, darling, please help," he looked at her in a panic. She laughed at his discomfort, but only because he brought it on himself.

"Marta darling, something does happen after the wedding," Maria explained. "In fact, I would say the bride is just as eager as the groom to get to that part."

"What? Tell us!"

"Ok, I'll try. Weddings are pretty. You are right about that. But they are eager for it be over because when the ceremony ends, they are husband and wife and will spend the rest of their lives together. I guess they are eager for the wedding to be over because they want the rest of their lives together to start right away."

"Oooh," Gretl nodded in understanding. Georg exhaled in relief and awe of her quick thinking.

"Yes, very good," he nodded in agreement, then turned to shoo his daughters away before they asked any more questions. "There, you see? Everything is answered. Now, off you go. Find your brothers and sisters. Tell them your exciting news." He accepted their quick pecks on his cheeks and watched them skip into the house and out of view. He turned to Maria and gave her a wary grin.

"Do you think that explanation is going to last very long?"

"Oh, doubtful. Marta can be a bottomless pit of questions. She'll probably want a few more details about what the new husband and wife do after the wedding."

"She better ask you. You seem to have all the answers."

"I'm sure I can handle it. I know there is something I can't wait to do as husband and wife for the first time."

"Oh?" Georg swallowed the lump that instantly formed in his throat.

"Most definitely. Especially now that I know how good you are at it, it should be nice to finish what we started." Maria sighed dreamily while Georg searched his memory of all the time they spent alone in their short engagement. There were some pretty heated kisses, he readily admitted, but he had been a gentleman. It was no small feat to control himself, but he was sure he hadn't crossed any line.

"Maria," he asked quietly lest another one of the children were lurking. "Do I need to apologize? I didn't pressure you to… to…"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know," he said, his tone full of implication. "I tried to make sure we stopped before things got out of hand. I thought I had behaved properly."

"If I recall, I'm the one who stopped it," Maria replied, a puzzled look on her face. "It's the truth, darling. I honestly couldn't remember what to do next." Georg swallowed and licked his lips as perspiration broke out on his brow. "Darling, are you alright? You don't look very well."

"No, I'm fine, I'm just… surprised. I didn't realize you had done anything like that before. It's just a bit of a shock."

"What, the Laendler? Of course, I used to dance it all the time when I was a little girl," Maria explained with an incredulous laugh. "I just hope I can relearn it before our first dance as husband and wife. It would be very embarrassing to forget again in front of all your friends and our guests."

"D-d-dance? You're talking about dancing?"

"Of course, silly. What did you think I was talking about?"

"Dancing! Of course, I thought you were talking about dancing," he laughed, quickly wiping his forehead. It suddenly hit him that life with Maria was going to be quite a trip. He reached for Maria's hand and let silence settle between them as the warm midmorning breeze spun around them, causing them both to sigh contentedly. He watched her serene face slowly grow serious in thought and then flushed with dawning realization.

"Wait, you thought I… that I was taking about… and that I had… and that we…? Oh!"

"I couldn't help it, Maria. You were the one who mentioned what we'll do for the first time after we are married. You can't blame me for failing to know you meant dancing!" He started laughing again.

"Oh, as if I would tell the children about that! Really, Captain!"

Georg pulled the hand he was holding to his lips and softly kissed the back of her wrist before folding it gently in both of his hands.

"Ahh, there she is, my blushing bride," he chuckled adoringly. "I knew I only had to wait a minute." Maria bristled but only slightly. She knew she was beet red, and she would have to get used to a lifetime of it happening when it came to him.

"And my groom… I suppose he isn't nervous at all?"

"My dear, I think I'll always be gloriously and wondrously nervous when it comes to you," he confessed. "Everything you do, whether or not you realize it, makes me crazy in love with you. You surprise me, thrill me and constantly remind me again and again how fun life can be. I hope I am never _not_ nervous. And I hope I can always make you blush. Because it is singularly the most adorable thing about you."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Georg rose from his seat and cleared his throat. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I would like to do some husband and wife things with you now."

"What?" Maria's eyes widened at his bold suggestion. Quickly he extended his arm and offered his hand with a silent request to dance. Maria stifled a giggle with her hand before accepting. He pulled her to her feet and smoothly wrapped his arm around her waist with one hand and held the other to his chest between them. "There's no music," Maria whispered, resting her head on his shoulder as they began to move. Without missing a single beat, Georg began to hum.

_A/N: true story… I was sifting through documents on my laptop and found this. I know I haven't posted it here, but couldn't seem to find it posted on Proboards either… and I keep thinking there is a reason I didn't post it back in May when I wrote it, but I cannot for the life of me remember what the reason could be. So here it is, just for fun. Meanwhile, the next chapter for 'If Love Finds You Worthy' is so painfully close to finished. It won't be more than a few days, I think. SPOILER: there's kissing. Muchos besos. Kisu ga takusan. Vielen Kussen. Google helped with the last one. I'm in such a bizarre mood today. _

_The usual disclaimer applied: I don't own anything. I just play with them and put the back on the shelf the little bit closer together than they were when I found them. Please RnR if you're so inclined. Always appreciated. Peace._


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